Augustus Henry Seward
Augustus Henry Seward (October 1, 1826 -- September 11, 1876) was the son of William H. Seward and Frances Adeline Seward. He was a career officer in the United States Army, and attained the rank of brevet Colonel. Early life and start of career Augustus H. Seward was born in Auburn, New York on October 1, 1826, and was the first child of William H. Seward and his wife Frances Miller.Thomas William Herringshaw, Herringshaw's National Library of American Biography, 1914, page 161Frederic Bancroft, The Life of William H. Seward, Volume 1, 1900, page 203 Augustus Seward graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1847, ranked 34th of 38th students.J. B. Lyon Company, Printer, Documents of the Assembly of the State of New York, Volume 35: Officers Who Served in the Regular Army of the United States from April 1, 1861 to April 30, 1865, 1911, page 4436 While at West Point his roommates included Henry Heth, who ranked 38th.James S. Robbins, Last in Their Class: Custer, Pickett and the Goats of West Point, 2006, page 73 After graduation Seward was appointed a Second Lieutenant in the 8th Infantry Regiment, and he served with his regiment in Mexico during the Mexican-American War.Frederick Augustus Porter Barnard, Arnold Guyot, editors, Johnson's New Universal Cyclopædia, Volume 4 Part 2, 1883, page 1659 After the war Augustus Seward continued his military career, serving with the 5th Infantry in: East Pascagoula, Mississippi; Forts Towson and Washita in Indian Territory; on the Utah Expedition; and at Forts Defiance and Union in New Mexico Territory. He was promoted to First Lieutenant in 1853 and Captain in 1859.George Washington Cullum, Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy, Volume II, 1868, page 204 Civil War In 1861 Augutus Seward transferred to the Paymaster Corps and was promoted to Major. Later that year he declined an appointment in the 19th Infantry. During the American Civil War he carried out paymaster and staff duties in New Mexico Territory, Arizona Territory and Washington, D.C. He received brevet promotions to Lieutenant Colonel in May, 1865 and Colonel in November, 1865 in recognition of his Civil War service.George Washington Cullum, Edward Singleton Holden, Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the United States Military Academy, Volume II (3rd edition), 1891, page 340 Attempted assassination of William H. Seward Augustus Seward was staying at the home of his father in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865 when Lewis Powell attempted to assassinate William H. Seward at the same time John Wilkes Booth was carrying out the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln.Mark Jones, Peter Johnstone, History of Criminal Justice, 2011, page 273Thomas Goodrich, The Darkest Dawn: Lincoln, Booth, and the Great American Tragedy, 2006, pages 92-93 William H. Seward was in bed recovering from injuries sustained in a carriage accident, and a jaw splint he was wearing as a result likely deflected Powell's knife and saved Seward's life.Don Voorhees, The Indispensable Book of Useless Information, Your Name is Mudd, 2011 Augustus Seward, Frederick W. Seward and others in the house were attacked by Powell as Powell attempted to gain access to William H. Seward's bedroom, as they intervened in Powell's attack on Seward, and again as Powell made his escape. Augustus Seward suffered seven stab wounds. He remained in Washington until 1868, testified at Powell's trial, and performed staff duties while recovering from his wounds.Charles Bracelen Flood. Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War, 2006, pages 327-328 Later career Augustus Seward continued to serve in the Army and perform paymaster and staff duties. His postings included: Boston, Massachusetts, from January to October, 1868; New York City from 1868 to 1869; leave of absence from February to December, 1869; Chief Paymaster of the Department of the Cumberland from December, 1869 to May, 1870; Chief Paymaster of the Department of the South and Paymaster of the department headquarters from May, 1870 to October, 1871; and Paymaster of the Department of Dakota from November, 1871 to May, 1876.Cullum, Holden, Biographical Register, 1891, page 340 Death and burial In May, 1876 Augustus Seward was diagnosed with an affliction described as paralysis of the eye. He took a leave of absence of the Army and died at the home of his brother Frederick in Montrose, New York on September 11, 1876.Lowell (Mass.) Daily Courier, Death notice, Augustus H. Seward, September 12, 1876Utica (N.Y.) Weekly Herald, Death notice, Augustus H. Seward, December 12, 1876 He was buried at Fort Hill Cemetery in Auburn. Augustus Street in Auburn, one of four streets named for members of the Seward family, and which form a city block, is named for him.Maggie MacLean, Civil War Women, Women of the Civil War and Reconstruction Eras 1849-1877, Frances Seward, October 1, 2010 Family In addition to being the son of William H. and Frances Seward, Augustus Seward was the grandson of Judges Elijah Miller and Samuel S. Seward, and the brother of Frederick William Seward, Cornelia Seward, William Henry Seward, Jr. and Frances Adeline "Fanny" Seward.University of Rochester, River Campus Libraries, William Henry Seward papers: Biography, William H. Seward, retrieved November 1, 2013 References External links Category:1826 births Category:1876 deaths Category:People from Auburn, New York Category:United States Military Academy alumni Category:United States Army officers Category:American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Category:Union Army officers